Emergency tank unloading device



April 24, 1951 J. CREED EMERGENCY TANK UNLOADING DEVICE Filed Oct. 8,1946 I m'eutor fina ly fi QM mid @sael; (reed Patented Apr. 24, 1951UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE EMERGENCY TANK UNLOADING DEVICE Jesse L.Creed, Port Arthur, Tex.

Application October 8, 1946, Serial N 0. 701,962

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to novel and useful improvements in anemergency tank unloading device and more especially pertains to anattachment permitting a quick unloading of the contents of a tank as inan emergency.

The principal objects of this invention reside in providing anattachment which may be quickly applied to the discharge opening oftanks or tank cars and the like, for the purpose of effecting a sealingengagement therewith to thereby permit the safe and expeditious removalof a controllable part of the contents of the tank.

Additional objects reside in the provision of a device of the characterset forth in the preceding paragraphs, which shall be of lightweight andextremely portable and adaptable nature; which may be quickly and easilyapplied to a variety of types of tanks and will accommodate itself to aplurality of sizes of discharge orifices in the same; which shall be sodesigned as to be capable of effecting a satisfactory and quick sealingengagement with and removal from the discharge openings of tanks; andwhich shall be so constructed as to permit the withdrawing of a portionof the contents of tanks from time to time as the same may be required.

These, together with various subordinate objects of the invention, whichwill later become apparent as the following description proceeds, arerealized by my invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated by wayof example only in the accompanying drawings, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing my device applied to a tankdischarge opening, a portion of the tank being shown in section; and,

Figure 2 is a vertical central sectional view through the detachableinlet means of my device.

Referring now more specifically to Figure 1 of the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that my device indicated generally at In isassociated with a portion l2- of a tank or a tank car or the like,having a threaded discharge opening l4 adapted for the reception of aconventional type of fluid discharge control means, not shown.

The attachment I is shown held tightly pressed into internal seating andsealing en-- gagement with the discharge opening [4, by means of a pairof timbers or blocks or the like, l6, associated underneath a pair ofhandles 18 extending from my device, for the purpose of wedging theappliance tightly against the said discharge opening.

Attention is now directed more specifically to Figure 2 for anunderstanding of the structural features of the attachment. A tubularpipe 20 of any desired size or material is provided, upon one end ofwhich and embracing the same is secured a conical member 22 of somematerial of a resilient or deformable nature, such as rubber, plastic,wood or the like, it being understood that the conical member 22 ispreferably rigidly secured to the end of the pipe 20. A tubular, hollow,cruciform shaped member 24 is provided, with a pair of verticallydisposed and aligned tubular arms 26 and 28 adapted to slide upon aportion of the tubular shaft 20, and with a pair of laterally andoppositely extending tubular arms 30 and 32, into which are detachablyscrew threaded the handle members l8 above referred to. An annular plateor disc 34 is interposed between the base of the conical member 22 andthe adjacent end of the cruciform member 24, to serve as a support forthe deformable member, and to transmit pressure from the support member24 to the conical member 22 in a manner to be set forth hereinafter.

A short length of suitable flexible hose 36, is attached upon the outerextremity of the tubular shaft 20, preferably in tight engagement withthe lower end of the tubular arm 28, being retained upon the shaft byadjustable clamps 38 or the like.

As shown in Figure l, the tubular member 36 is detachably secured bymeans of suitable clamps 4!! to a manually operable flow controllingvalve 42, which may be attached to the inlet end 44 of any suitablefluid suction or dispensing line.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the manner of operating mydevice will be now apparent. When it is desired to withdraw all or partof the contents of the tank I2, as when a tank car is left for unloadingupon a siding in a position where the customary unloading fixtures arenot accessible thereto, the usual sealing plug or discharge fitting isremoved from the bore 14, and the conical member 22 forced inwardly ofthe exposed orifice, being tightly held therein in firm seating andsealing engagement by means of the pressure applied to the handles 18,as by means of timbers l6, blocks, any suitable type of jack or thelike. The suction line .4 may then be connected by means of valve 42with the flexible hose 36, and through manipulation of valve 42 all orpart of the contents of the tank l2 may be readily withdrawn, and thisoperation repeated as often as desired as with filling a plurality ofcontainers from the tank 12.

I claim as my invention:

An emergency drain device including a conical plug adapted for insertionof its reduced end into the threaded bore of a discharge orifice in thebottom of a tank, a tubular pipe extending axial- 1y of said plug andhaving an adit at the re- 5 duced end thereof, a supporting membersurrounding said pipe adjacent the enlarged end of said plug, meansengaging said supporting member for forcing said conical plug into saiddischarge orifice, a flexible conduit connected with said pipe adjacentsaid supporting member, and a valve secured to the end of said flexibleconduit, said supporting member including a hollow cruciform bodyforming pairs of aligned arms, said pipe extending through a pair ofsaid aligned arms and said means comprising a pair of handles, eachdetachably secured in one of said other pair of arms of said body.

JESSE L. CREED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,558,161 Gunderson Oct. 17, 19242,024,873 Perry Mar. 13, 1935

